The God Of All Comfort

When people look at you, what do they see?  Do they see a person brimming with joy and hope, or do they see a person living the same way everyone else does – trying to make it through the day, just Workin’ for a Livin’ and taking what they’re giving?

A friend recently told me that at her old church a group of gals used to attend church together Sunday mornings, and then regroup Sunday evenings for Happy Hour at their favorite cocktail lounge.  Do you see a problem with that?  I do!  If we are living the same way as unbelievers, why would people think they need a Savior?

Romans 12:2 says we’re to not conform to this world.  Our lives are supposed to look different!  And, if we truly want God’s best perfected in us, we need to be living according to His will.  Our lives should be pointing people to Jesus.

Unfortunately through the years the line between being a follower of Jesus vs. being a follower of the world has become very blurred.  Some denominations now think it no problem to allow homosexuals or bisexuals to become pastors and ministers of their churches.  They sugarcoat or change verses in the Bible that teach the way they live is wrong, saying those verses really don’t mean what they say.

That’s very wrong.  Our God is the only God (Isaiah 46:9).  He does not change (Hebrews 13:8).  And the Bible is just as relevant today as when it was written (Hebrews 4:12-13).  Our Father knows exactly what’s going on in the world today – He is not being fooled.

How have things gotten so out of whack?  My opinion:  God has been taken out of the schools; and in many workplaces you are not allowed to speak of Him, either.  Government entities are having to remove any reference to God from their buildings, and almost every week you can read in the news of how some organization wants to remove anything relating to Jesus and Christianity from even private property – because it’s degrading to them as they drive by.  Sad.

But the good news is that our God is never stopped because of human laws and regulations.  Even back in the time of the apostles there were groups trying to stop them from speaking the truth.  But they knew in Whom they believed, and did not compromise.  (NOTE:  Please remember that we must follow the laws of our government as much as it does not usurp God’s laws.  This doesn’t mean we should be bombing abortion clinics or treating people with disrespect who don’t believe as we do.)

Back when we lived in Oregon I worked at a company where the owner stated he loved God, but he lived by what the priests told him about his salvation, rather than studying the Scriptures himself to find out the truth.  He was always so afraid of dying, stating often how he “hoped he was a good enough person” to make it to heaven.  My coworker friend and I were often asked why we always seemed to have peace since he knew we were Christians.  But when we would talk about Jesus and a personal relationship, he just didn’t understand – and didn’t want to.  He’d been engrained in “religion” for such a long time.

It says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that we need to examine ourselves to make sure we are believing what is really true.  True believers will have peace – even in the midst of chaos.  They will not be swayed by the wind (Ephesians 4:14) because they know the truth about Who Jesus is, and what He has done for them by dying on the cross.

Take an inventory to see if your faith is real.  You really can be sure you will be going to heaven when you die.  John 3:16 says you need to believe in Jesus and turn from your sins.  Acts 16:31 confirms this.

So do you yourself really believe in the saving grace of Jesus, or are you just playing games?  Remember, God knows your heart.